Improvement in car-couplings



w. H. FARRIS.

- CAR-COUPLING. No.177,7-o5. Patehterl May 23,1876.

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES j PATENT OFFICE.

WILFORT H. FARRIsoF 'reov STATION, TENNESSEE.

, IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 177,705, dated May 23, 1876; application filed April 25,1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILFORT H. FARRIS, of Troy Station, in the county of Obion and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a specification:

constructed as to couple the cars automatically as they are run together; which will couplecars of different heights; will couple with a car provided with an ordinarycoupling; and which shall be simple in construction and reliable in use.

The invention consists in the upright drawpins, the pivoted blocks, and their notched pins, in combination with the draw-heads having an open upper side, and with a coupling-link; and in the combination of the pivoted bars, the hinged cross-bars, and the sliding bars, with the open-topped draw-heads, the pivoted blocks, their-pins, and the coupling-link, as hereinafter fully described.

A represents the draw-heads of two adjacent cars, the upper sides of which have openings formed in them in which are placed barsor blocks B, which have strong arms or gudgeons b formed upon the sides of their inner parts, which enter notches or holes in the draw-heads A, to pivot the. said blocks, and to sustain the draft-strain. The upper edge of the inner end of the pivoted blocks B is beveled off to rest against a corresponding bevel in the upper side of the draw-heads, at

the inner end of the top openings in said draw-heads, and which, in connection with the pivoting'arms I), hold the said blocks B in a horizontal position. The blocks B are kept from falling back too far when raised by projections 00, formed upon the upper sides of the drawheadsA, at the inner ends of their top openings.- 0 are the coupling-pins, the lower ends of which rest in holes in the lower sides of the draw-heads A, and their upper ends, which are made in the shape of arrowheads, pass up through a short slot in the forward part of the pivoted blocks B, so as to be supported at both ends when sustaining the draft-strain. D is an ordinary couplinglink, which. passes around the pins 0. The blocks B are made narrower than the openings in which they are placed, so that the links may be turned'up over them, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. To the opposite sides of the draw-heads A are pivoted two bars, E, which project above said draw-heads, and to the upper end of one of which is hinged a cross-bar, F. The free ends of the cross-bar F, and of the other pivoted b'ar, E, are so formed as to interlock with each other when the said bar F is turned into a horizontal position. The

lower end of one of the bars E projects below its pivot, and to its end is pivoted the end of a bar or rod, G, which passes through a guidehole or keeper formed upon, .or attached to, the side of the draw-heads, and its forward end projects into such a position as'to strike the draw-head of the adjacent car when the cars are run together. To the under side of the inner end of the pivoted blocks B is attached a pin, H, projecting at right angles and having a notch formed in the forward side of its upper part, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. I,

The coupling is set for automatic coupling by turning the pivotedblock B of theme draw-head back to rest against the projection a, the bar F being turned down at the side of the said draw-head. The link D is placed in the other draw-head, and is turned up to rest against the cross-bar F. When the cars are run together the projecting end of the bar G' strikes against the end of the other draw-head, which causes the bars E F to throw. the link forward, so as to drop over the pin 0 of the other draw-head. As the link drops into place it strikes the pin H and throws the pivoted block B down and the coupling is completed. In case the force of the link D is not I sufficient to throw the pivoted block B down, it drops into the notch of the pin H and pulls the said block down-as soon as draft is applied. ln case the cars are of different heights the link should be turned up upon the draw- 1 head of the higher car.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patthe hinged cross-bars F, and the sliding bars teut- G, with the open-topped draw-bars A, the r 1. The upright pins 0, pivoted blocks B, pivot-ed blocks 13, the pins H, and the link D, and notched pins H, in combination with the substantially as herein shown and. described.

draw-heads A, having an open upper side, WILFORT HAMPTON FARRIS. and with a coupling-link, D, substantially as Witnesses: herein shown and described. JNO. S. PRIDE,

2. The combination of the pivoted bars E, J. E. MOFFETT. 

